Brooks Camp, Katmai NP, Alaska
Back in May, Simyra and I attended a chamber mixer at a local bear viewing business. Funny enough, luck was on my side that night and I won a free bear viewing trip. Their operation uses floatplanes so they go to different locations than where we go, so we decided to take the opportunity and go to Brooks Camp during the salmon run, since we had never been there before. Brooks Camp is in the interior of the park, about 100 miles from where the bear camp is on the coast. The visitor center is located there and the majority of people that visit the park go there. They go there to watch the bears catch the salmon in the famous waterfalls. Therefore, if you have ever seen a picture of a bear catching a fish in a waterfall, it was most likely taken at Brooks. SO yesterday Simyra and I took the day off and went to check it out for ourselves.
Simyra and me in the floatplane
Over an hour later, we landed in Naknek Lake.
Our Ride- DeHavilland Otter
After arriving, we had a brief bear orientation and then had free reign to explore the area. We met up with our pilot friend Wes and walked the mile to the falls.
Map of Brooks area
Trail to the Falls
It was a nice walk through the forest till we got to a boardwalk complete with barred doors. Once we reached the platform, we gave our name to the ranger and went up to the falls. We got one hour there (they have a time limit on the platform due to the amount of visitors).
To Keep Bears off platform
People viewing bears from the platform
Notice the salmon jumping up the falls
I took over 200 photos but after awhile the shots looked the same, so it was nice to put the camera down and view the bears from outside a lens. Smelling the rotting salmon on the banks, feeling the breeze off the waterfalls, and cheering for the salmon that make the jump over the falls and past the bears, complete this wonderful experience of viewing wildlife. Check out the youtube video I took at the Falls,
Simyra and I at the falls
5 Bears at the falls
I had been looking forward to the trip for the past couple of months, and it was exciting to finally make it there. We had a great day and I'm glad I got to go somewhere I had never been before.
It is some people's dreams to go here, and I am very grateful I got to visit this magical place.
